RF tags affixed in manufactured elements

Abstract

A system for tracking elements employing fixed tags that are permanently attached to elements. The tags include radio-frequency (RF) communication units that are adapted for wireless communication with RF communicators. The RF tags are permanently affixed to elements as part of the manufacturing of products such as cell phones, PDA's, computers, routers and other electronic equipment. The RF tags are installed during manufacturing in a manner that resists tampering and interference. The RF tags are installed with mechanical barriers to access and are hidden from view in non-user accessible locations.

1. A user product having the capacity for RF communication with an RF communicator comprising:
 an element for providing user functions for the product, said element including semiconductor circuits manufactured with a semiconductor process to form element semiconductor circuits for providing said user functions; and 
 a tag for providing tag operations through RF communication with the communicator, 
 wherein said tag is affixed to and transportable with said element, and said tag comprises semiconductor circuits manufactured using the same semiconductor process for manufacturing said element semiconductor circuits to form tag semiconductor circuits for providing said tag operations, said semiconductor process encapsulating said tag semiconductor circuits and said element semiconductor circuits so as to impede tampering with said tag; and 
 wherein tampering with said tag impedes normal tag operations by destroying RF communication of said tag or causing said tag to provide a logical state that indicates tampering, and tampering with said tag also damages said element and impedes normal user functions provided by said element. 
 
   
   
     2. The product of  claim 1  wherein said tag has a low threshold value of mechanical stress whereby tampering causes said tag to break thereby preventing said tag from performing tag operations. 
   
   
     3. The product as in  claim 2  wherein said tag has a low threshold value of mechanical stress as a function of the number of times the tag is stressed. 
   
   
     4. The product as in  claim 2  wherein said tag has a low threshold value of mechanical stress as a function of the force applied to stress the tag. 
   
   
     5. The product as in  claim 1  wherein said element semiconductor circuits and said tag semiconductor circuits are affixed to a common semiconductor base. 
   
   
     6. The product as in  claim 1  wherein said element semiconductor circuits and said tag semiconductor circuits are affixed to a common circuit board. 
   
   
     7. A system having a plurality of products each having a capacity for RF communication with a communicator,
 each product comprising:
 an element formed of components for providing user functions for the product, said element comprising element semiconductor circuits manufactured with a semiconductor process; and 
 a tag for providing tag operations through RF communication with the communicator where said tag, 
 is permanently affixed to and transportable with the element and comprises tag semiconductor circuits manufactured using the same semiconductor process for manufacturing said element semiconductor circuits, 
 wherein said semiconductor process encapsulates said tag with said element so as to impede tampering with said tag, and wherein tampering with said tag impedes normal tag operations by destroying RF communication of said tag or causing said tag to provide a logical state that indicates tampering, and tampering with said tag also damages said element and impedes normal user functions provided by said element, 
 communicates with said communicator using an instruction set, and 
 executes commands in response to instructions received from said communicator. 
 
 
   
   
     8. The product of  claim 1  wherein said element for providing user functions is independent of said tag and wherein said tag operations and said user functions are independent. 
   
   
     9. The product of  claim 1  wherein said element for providing user functions is connected to said tag and wherein said tag operations interact with said user functions. 
   
   
     10. The product of  claim 1  wherein said tag and said communicator communicate using an instruction set and wherein said tag executes commands issued by said communicator. 
   
   
     11. The product of  claim 10  wherein said tag and said communicator communicate using a security routine for controlling access to said tag, said tag executing commands issued by said communicator only after passing a security check. 
   
   
     12. A system for RF communication comprising:
 a plurality of products, each product including,
 an element formed of components for providing user functions for the product, said element comprising element semiconductor circuits manufactured with a semiconductor process; and 
 one or more tags for providing tag operations through RF communication, each tag permanently affixed to and transportable with said element and comprising tag semiconductor circuits manufactured using the same semiconductor process for manufacturing said element semiconductor circuits, wherein said semiconductor process encapsulates said tag with said element so as to impede tampering with said tag, and wherein tampering with said tag impedes normal tag operations by destroying RF communication of said tag or causing said tag to provide a logical state that indicates tampering, and tampering with said tag also damages said element and impedes normal user functions provided by said element, and each tag having,
 a tag memory having storage locations for storing security information, 
 a controller for accessing said tag memory to access said security information in response to a security routine, and 
 an I/O unit for electronic communication with said controller and for RF communication; and 
 
 
 a communicator having,
 an RF unit for RF communication with the tags, and 
 a processor for executing tag program routines formed of instructions from a Tag Instruction Set where said instructions issue tag commands that cause said controller to access said tag, wherein one of said tag program routines comprises a security routine for executing a security protocol for controlling access to said tags. 
 
 
   
   
     13. The system of  claim 12  wherein the tag receives an instruction from the communicator including a tag command and a received security string and wherein the controller compares the received security string with a stored security string stored in the tag memory and if the received security string matches the stored security string, the controller executes the tag command. 
   
   
     14. The system of  claim 12  wherein another one of said tag program routines comprises a validation routine for validating the authenticity of said tag and wherein a Validity Number is stored in a secure tag location in said tag memory, said Validity Number being accessible only when the tag receives instructions associated with said validation routine from the communicator. 
   
   
     15. A user product having the capacity for RF communication with an RF communicator comprising:
 an element formed of components for providing user functions for the product, said element comprising element semiconductor circuits manufactured with a semiconductor process; and 
 a tag for providing tag operations through RF communication with said RF communicator, said tag being permanently affixed to and transportable with said element and comprising tag semiconductor circuits manufactured using the same semiconductor process for manufacturing said element semiconductor circuits, wherein said semiconductor process encapsulates said tag with said element so as to impede tampering with said tag, and wherein tampering with said tag impedes normal tag operations by destroying RF communication of said tag or causing said tag to provide a logical state that indicates tampering, and tampering with said tag also damages said element and impedes normal user functions provided by said element, each tag comprising:
 a tag memory having storage locations for storing security information, 
 a controller for accessing said tag memory to access said security information in response to a security routine, and 
 an I/O unit for electronic communication with said controller and for RF communication, 
 
 wherein said I/O unit receives an instruction associated with the security routine from said RF communicator, said controller executing a security protocol in response to the security routine for controlling access to said tag. 
 
   
   
     16. The product of  claim 15  wherein said tag receives an instruction from the communicator including a tag command and a received security string and wherein the controller compares the received security string with a stored security string stored in the tag memory and if the received security string matches the stored security string, the controller executes the tag command. 
   
   
     17. The product of  claim 15  wherein said tag receives instructions from the communicator associated with a validation routine for validating the authenticity of said tag and said controller accessing a Validity Number stored in a tag location in said tag memory in response to the instructions associated with the validation routine.